Due to an unprecedented number of animals in our care, the Dumb Friends League will accept dog surrenders by appointment only. Please visit the Pet Surrender page to schedule a time.
If your pet is experiencing a challenging behavior, we may be able to help you resolve the issue and keep your beloved pet. Check out our Behavior Resources Library and, if you need further assistance, consider contacting our Behavior Help Line before surrendering your pet.
Links for resources
Schedule a Behavior Help Line appointment
We require an appointment for all dog surrenders
Pets previously adopted from the League are accepted at any time without appointments.
If you have an emergency and cannot continue caring for your pet or your pet has a medical concern, please call us to discuss additional options.
If you decide to surrender your pet, please bring the following:
- PET RECORDS– Bring a copy of your pet’s vaccination and veterinary records to your appointment.
- BEHAVIOR INFORMATION– Be prepared to discuss your pet’s daily habits and behaviors.
- SAFE TRANSPORTATION– Be sure that dogs are on leashes and cats or other small animals are in carriers.
- SURRENDER FEE– $25*
Equine Surrender Admissions Form
Where to go and scheduling
We offer pet surrender services at these locations:
What happens to surrendered pets?
Our goal is to find a loving home for every healthy and safe pet in our care. We achieve this by gathering information about the pets that come into our shelters during the pet surrender process, so please be prepared to share everything you know about the pet. Although we can’t guarantee placement for any pet, we do not euthanize for time or space, and we are proud to have placed more than 17,000 pets last year.
What shoudl I do if I found injured or orphaned wildlife
If you find a wild animal, please refrain from touching and/or moving the animal before reading our Wildlife Resources page for helpful information.
What should I do if I can no longer care for my red-eared slider?
The Dumb Friends League is an open admission shelter that focuses on providing care for companion animals in our community. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a steady increase of red-eared sliders relinquished to the League. Red-eared sliders are an invasive species and do not qualify for rehabilitation or release programs. They are not companion animals and do not have placement options. Due to the potential impact from an ecological standpoint, accepting these turtles into our shelter is not ideal, and euthanasia is the only outcome we can provide for the red-eared sliders.
Learn more about the ecological impact of non-native turtles.
Before bringing your red-eared slider to the League, please consider an alternative, such as rehoming, which can be done through community platforms like Nextdoor or Facebook.